Through experimentation and play we’ll explore the connections between your body, emotions and distress responses. You’ll learn BodyMind approaches which include gentle movement experiments, body awareness, breathing, meditation, embodiment, somatic education, mindfulness, and the principles of the non-violent art of aikido. 

Attendance at all sessions is recommended but not an absolute necessity.

Registration ends February 28th at 8:00 pm. Register Here

I’m happy to be asked to present for a third year in a row during three different sessions!

This powerful gathering will feature more than 35 of today’s highly sought-after somatic movement experts and teachers — including Lavinia Plonka, Paul Linden, PhD, Dr. Ruby Gibson, Eleanor Criswell Hanna, Mia Segal, Dr. Martha Eddy, Suresha Hill, Banafsheh Sayyad, Nikki Myers, Don Hanlon Johnson, PhD, Anat Baniel, Richard Sims and more.

They’ll be guiding you through simple somatic practices to move you from trauma, anxiety, fatigue, or depletion into easeful states infused with vitality and relaxed alertness.

This life-enhancing Somatic Movement Summit will reveal the medicinal art and power of embodied motion. I hope you’ll participate in this online gathering presented by The Shift Network. Prepare to be transformed!

RSVP here for the Somatic Movement Summit — at no charge: https://shiftnetwork.infusionsoft.com/go/sms22/a21233​

The Somatic Movement Summit is a Free 5-day online event taking place April 19-23.

You’ll be guided into the beautiful world of conscious, embodied motion to discover lifelong practices for vitality, fluidity, and healing.

The diverse array of seasoned teachers and practitioners will provide insights on the plentiful benefits of somatic movement as well as simple ways to self-regulate your own health systems, including micro-movements, grounding, centering, meditation, and breathing.

The beauty of increasing your body awareness through somatic movement is that it’s so immediate and easy. Mastering somatic movement doesn’t require you to be flexible, have years of formal training or advanced yoga abilities, or visit an enlightened master on a mountaintop in order to get started.

Thank you for joining us for this groundbreaking and experiential event — may it be nourishing and deliciously enlivening for you.

I hope you enjoy this special summit!

To register click here.

One in six men experience sexual victimization in their lifetime. But many men don’t tell anyone for years, don’t seek help, and don’t speak about it publicly. Many men don’t even view that what was done to them makes them a survivor.

Harmful beliefs about masculinity often interfere with healing for male sexual victimization survivors – for example, the common myth that “real men” shouldn’t seek help or mental health care.

In this public storytelling and community dialogue series, male survivors from across Georgia will have the opportunity to publicly share stories about their own journeys of healing from sexual victimization, with a live online audience. The stories will be followed by an audience-presenter dialogue.

This project is led by MenHealing and the Men’s Story Project.

Two days of exploration with the Somatic teaching of Paul Linden and Richard Sims exploring how their Somatic, Embodiment and Mindfulness practices are used in Peacemaking, Conflict and De-Escalation of charged encounters. Click here to find out more information about the Alternatives to Violence Project.

Six experts in the field of Somatic Movement discuss the vital need for Somatic Movement across the Educational Arena. Each panelist has extensive experience in weaving Somatic Movement into Professional Development, K-12, and/or Higher Education and will focus on the vital need for Somatic Movement Education to support Social Emotional Learning and other important aspects of development. Click Here for Info

In the U.S. alone, one in four women and one in six men are survivors of sexual abuse. One day, whether planned or not, we’ll work with a survivor of Sexual Trauma. As professionals whose practices revolve around the body, it’s important to recognize and learn about the special care needed, to serve a client with a history of sexual abuse.

Most of us accept that Trauma is experienced in our bodies and minds. This is especially true with sexual trauma. Talking alone simple doesn’t reach the body. In my work with MenHealing (male identified sexual abuse survivors) and my private practice, one of my specialties is working with survivor’s stress, fear, anxiety and trauma with a “Bottom up” and “Top down” whole body approach.

During this experiential workshop, we’ll explore the somatic approaches I couple with distress responses to help survivors work with their trauma while gaining the power necessary to live out joy-filled, open, meaningful lives.

Through physical experiments, discussions and explorations, we’ll experience some of the somatic approaches I use to help my clients empower themselves on their paths too healing.

These lessons can be quickly incorporated into your existing somatic toolbox, rounding out your practice to include some trauma-sensitive approaches your clients can enjoy.

My goal is to teach clear tools and approaches that can be used to lead to centered, calm, powerful, caring, open lives where you are free to explore and experience life to its fullest. Click Here for Info

ISMETA’s vision is to transform the world and ourselves through conscious movement. Through our organizational partnerships and involvement in international conferences and symposiums, we see the innovative contributions that somatic professionals are making in healthcare, education and social justice. ISMETA is excited to provide an opportunity through this conference for us all to share our experience, strength and wisdom in these three areas.

This conference will focus on ways somatic practitioners use conscious movement to help people enhance their functioning and body-mind integration in healthcare settings, in schools, and in communities.  In particular, the conference wishes to highlight innovative strategies, novel applications, and overlooked populations when considering how somatic movement is evolving across boundaries and cultures to deepen our understanding and experience of embodiment. Click Here for Info

During this 8 week course Richard Sims takes a deep dive into his Somatic, Embodiment and Mindfulness practices and how they pertain to Peacemaking, Conflict and De-Escalation of charged encounters. Click here to find out more information about the Alternatives to Violence Project.

The gold medalist at any event in the Olympics, doesn’t just show up and win. It takes years of dedicated training to prepare for that moment. In other words, giving your best doesn’t just happen by chance. In this week’s Burwell online session we are going to look at ways in which we can improve our performance in the race of life.

With this in mind, in this week’s Burwell Online session, we will have 3 guest presenters, Patrick Carson, Richard Sims and Jack Kangas, all long term aikidoka and students of Paul Linden’s ‘Being In Movement’ work. They will share some techniques and ideas that have been useful personally and which can be used to help others on a similar journey.

Think of phrases like ’Physician, heal thyself’ and ‘Cobblers, should heel their own shoes’ and you will get the drift. I think the whole point of aikido is to develop yourself and at a time where solo practise is the only choice for most of us, finding ways of looking within and becoming more mindful, has never been more relevant.

All are welcome and if you have not been before, then we have a truly international community and everyone has the opportunity to add their voice. It costs nothing but your interest and energy. Sessions start at 19:00pm (GMT) on Thursday. Sessions are recorded and subsequently posted on YouTube. For more information on Burwell Aikido click here. For a link to previous sessions on YouTube click here.

During this session Richard Sims will explore, teach and play with the Somatic, Embodiment and Mindfulness practices he teaches that can be used in efforts of Peacemaking, Conflict and De-Escalation of charged encounters. Click here to find out more information about the Alternatives to Violence Project.

People often accept that how we think, affects how we feel. But few consider how we feel and ‘do’ things, in our body, also affects our minds.

In this class you’ll learn to use your Body and Mind together in an open, caring, powerful way to improve your emotional, mental and physical well-being.

Through experimentation and play we’ll explore the connections between your body, emotions and distress responses. You’ll learn BodyMind approaches which include gentle movement experiments, body awareness, breathing, meditation, embodiment, somatic education, mindfulness, and the principles of the non-violent art of aikido. Click Here for Info

Join us in our virtual gathering place to stay engaged, learn something new, or simply connect during these challenging times.

Please note we have a limited capacity.  If you are unable to register because this date is full we suggest you try to register for a different Tuesday. (Open for ISMETA members only)  Click Here for Info

During this level 2 virtual class we’ll take a deeper look into the Somatic (Body) work and other practices we explored during the first level of this course. This deeper study and experimentation will help you further develop your ability to use your Body and Mind together in an open, caring, powerful way to improve your emotional, mental and physical well-being.

We’ll continue to explore BodyMind approaches including gentle movement experiments, body awareness, breathing, meditation, embodiment, somatic education, mindfulness, and the principles of the non-violent art of aikido.

These have been combined into a class that’s aimed at everyone touched by cancer and deals directly with the stress, fear, anxiety and trauma often faced during these challenging times in and ease going, fun, safe, supportive environment.

Completion of the first level class required.

Program will follow a structured progression, attendance to all sessions is suggested.

Click Here for Info

In this virtual class, you will learn to use your Body and Mind together in an open, caring, powerful way to improve your emotional, mental and physical well-being. Through experimentation and play we’ll explore the connections between your body, emotions and distress responses.

You will learn BodyMind approaches which include gentle movement experiments, body awareness, breathing, meditation, embodiment, somatic education, mindfulness, and the principles of the non-violent art of aikido. Attendance at all sessions is recommended as class follows a structured progression. Click Here for Info

I’m honored to be among more than 40 of today’s highly sought-after somatic movement experts and teachers — including Sondra Fraleigh, Paul Linden, Lavinia Plonka, Eleanor Criswell Hanna, Dr. Stephen Porges, Dr. Martha Eddy, Bernadette Pleasant, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, and Jeong Myung Gim.

We’ll be sharing simple somatic practices to move you from stress, anxiety, fatigue, or depletion into easeful states infused with vitality and relaxed alertness. 

During this healing 5-day event, you’ll discover:

• Ways to nourish your nervous system through centering and connective movement
• How embodied movement can help dissipate stress, anxiety, fear, and trauma
• Pathways to strengthen immunity, improve heart rate variability, and natural breathing
• The connection between movement and personal power
• Embodied movement for social change
• Ways you can apply conscious motion on a daily basis to provide ease around challenging and stressful situations
• Somatic strategies to address pain
• Somatic methods including Hanna Somatics, Feldenkrais Method, Rolfing, dance, Somatic Yoga, Body-Mind Centering®, Somatic Psychology, martial arts, and Continuum Movement
• How somatic movement enhances resilience, wellbeing, and happiness. Click Here for Free Registration

THE 6-DAY WORKSHOP will focus on a number of areas of embodiment education:
Relaxation and stress management, task improvement, trauma work, assertiveness and conflict management, and hands-on body work. The six-day sequence will teach an integrated understanding, and whichever area you intend to work with, fa­miliarity with the other areas will deepen and strengthen your understanding of how to apply embodiment in your chosen area.

This intensive workshop is meant for:

• Coaches, psychotherapists, bodyworkers, body-therapists, who want to gain depth and new effective tools to accompany their clients / (trauma) patients into embodied empowerment and being able to listen to their body and emotions in a whole new way.
• Practitioners of Aikido and all other martial arts, Yoga etc. who want to experience and learn very practically how to apply their arts in everyday life and for healing.
• Activists, educators, teachers, practitioners of Nonviolent Communication and similar who want to find the peace in their mind and body before and while having a difficult conver­sation, conflict etc.
• Activists who want to embody peace even in the most challenging situations
  Dancers, actors, performance artists who want to learn a very effective way to center, gai­ning clarity of their body and emotion.
• Any person interested in learning how to be centered, calm and loving and how to teach this to others. Click Here for Info

This “Intimacy and Relationship” Advanced Weekend of Recovery will focus on providing participants with the skills to balance and integrate being both loving and powerful in relationships. Trauma can set up survivors of sexual victimization  to be trapped in responding in relationships from a submissive or aggressive stance. Power in relationships generally gets a bad reputation; however, love without power is ineffective, and power without love is manipulative. The skills of embodying both love and power will increase participants’ ability to handle conflicts, be more self-directed, and feel safer to be more open in relationships.
(Facilitator MenHealing) Click Here for Info

Improve your emotional, mental and physical well-being by learning to use your body and mind together (BodyMind). By exploring the connection between your body, emotions and distress responses, you will gain the strength needed for the many paths of your cancer journey. You will learn BodyMind approaches including: gentle movement experiments, body awareness, breathing, meditation, embodiment, somatic education, mindfulness, and the principles of the non-violent art of aikido. Attendance at all sessions is recommended. Click Here for Info

This Advanced Weekend of Recovery is designed to help male identified survivors of sexual assault develop a conscious and healing relationship with the difficult emotions of shame, guilt, depression, anxiety, anger among others. We utilize mindfulness skills, body awareness and empowerment, experiential activities, music, art, outdoor exploration, movement, play, and small-group processing to reach these goals.
(Facilitator MenHealing) Click Here for Info

People often accept that how we think, affects how we feel. But few consider how we feel and ‘do’ things, in our body, also affects our minds.

In this class you’ll learn to use your Body and Mind together in an open, caring, powerful way to improve your emotional, mental and physical well-being.

Through experimentation and play we’ll explore the connections between your body, emotions and distress responses. You’ll learn BodyMind approaches which include gentle movement experiments, body awareness, breathing, meditation, embodiment, somatic education, mindfulness, and the principles of the non-violent art of aikido.

Click Here for Info

In this introductory workshop, Rich leads us into his work, teaching us ways of working with our stress, fears and anxieties.

We’ll explore tools and approaches that will help you achieve the “personal power” needed when working with individual challenges. They’ll also serve as ways to achieve the calm, open, caring power necessary to live out an empowered giving life for yourself and those around you.

Rich teaches these same approaches, tools and skills to teens having problems at school or home, people dealing with the strain of a cancer diagnosis, work related stress, or sexual abuse. Some of the organizations he serves include MenHealing, Youth-Guidance/BAM and the Cancer Wellness Center. 

If you’ve ever been affected by the stress, fears and anxiety life brings, come join us! Together, we’ll explore and learn in a fun, safe environment. There are no strenuous exercises, only gentle movement experiments and play.

Download the event flyer here: Richard Sims Somatic Flyer St. Marys

For more information contact Deacon Ramon Navarro at rnavarro@stmaryevanston.org